Historical Source – WW1 monograph (1916) provided for QLD students in grades 5&6

A glimpse into history! This source can be used to explore what Queensland students were learning about the First World War as it was occurring.

first section of this monograph is includes information about Australian soldiers being trained in Egypt and about the decision to land at Gallipoli. Next is a poem entitled ‘The Sailing of the Long Ships.’ This is followed by information under the heading ‘The Months of Battle’ about the solders experiences in Gallipoli. Images are provided of some men of the Australian 10th Light Horse in the trenches. Another poem ‘The Grey Mother’ (by Lauchlan Maclean Watt) is featured. The ‘grey mother’ is a metaphor for Great Britain and her children are the colonies and dependencies of the British empire. This is followed by a section called ‘The Return’ about evacuating the ANZACs. It includes details about the numbers that had to be evacuated, the military strategy used to plan this evacuation with as little loss of life as possible. It was implemented under the cover of nightfall. A description of what remains there today (1916) – empty trenches, a hulk or two on the beach, shattered piers – is provided along with a belief that the spirit of the Anzacs will live on in this place. Statistics of the numbers lost in the war are provided. Along with a statement about the significance of the Anzacs: “The word has already passed the nation’s lips to the nation’s heart, and the world will not willingly forget it.” A poem called ‘Pro Patria’ (latin for to die for one’s country) written by O.S is featured. This is followed by information about ‘The Victoria Cross’ and its recipients.

Source name: The School Paper: ANZAC Day 1916 (for classes V and VI)

Author details: Queensland. Dept. of Public Instruction

Made in: Brisbane

Publisher: Department of Public Instruction

Source type: Monograph (a detailed written study of a single specialized subject or an aspect of it.)

Source origin: These books were given to students in Queensland schools during World War One. This was the property of Violet Coley (daughters of Philemon and Sylvia Coley) when she was a student in Coleyville. Coleyville is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. The locality is named after Violet’s parents who emigrated from Halesowen, Worcestershire, England, in 1866 and settled in the area.